Pirate Part, Part 3

It's time to wrap up the pirate party posting! Even though I had a blast putting this pary together, I can't gaze at it and admire it forever. Afterall, I have a princess party to plan in a little more than a month!

So, I thought I would start this post with the invite. We did the whole message in a bottle thing. Nathan loved giving them to all his friends. They thought he was pretty cool, which he is.

I surfed the net for a few ideas for the invite and mashed all those ideas into one perfect paper. We printed them on parchment paper, burned the edges, tied it up with hemp rope, and stuffed it in the bottle along with sand, a pirate ring and some seashells.

Next up are the favors. I lurve them! I found the cutest pirate gumball machines online and had to have them. I designed a cute little tag to go along with it and let my silhouette machine do all the cutting. I love that thing.

The first game we played was our Captain Hook game. My hubby cut him out of plywood and we painted and sealed him. He kinda became a part of our family because he was one of the first things we made for the party. So, there he sat, in our breakfast room, watching us eat.

Anyway, we filled up black water balloons (cannon balls). Each kid had to walk the plank (a wooden board) and then throw cannon ball at Hook. They loved it!

Then, we had a treasure hunt with clues hidden all over the yard.

The last clue led the kids inside to a pirate chest filled with these bags that I made. I bought the plain bags online and then ironed on a skull. I filled each bag with chocolate coins.

We had a tattoo parlor and a treasure dig outside in our sandbox, too.

So there you have it! Can't wait to show you what else I have in the works--some kid crafts, home improvement projects, and a princess party!

Pirate Party, Part 2

So, here is part two of my son's pirate party: the food! I am such a sweets person. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that sometimes I will drop my older kids off at school and head directly to our little local cupcake place and order the Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake. It is seriously THE.BEST.CUPCAKE.EVER! Its what gets me through the day sometimes.

So, needless to say, I try to have a lot of sweets at my parties. I fill the kids up with sugar and send them home--every parent's dream. Since I have a newborn and a limited budget, I didn't get to do all that I wanted, but my sweet tooth was still happy.

I made the banner out of burlap, cardstock, ribbon, and tulle.


I dipped marshmallows into red candy melts and then added some black sprinkles on top. It was seriously the easiest, fastest thing ever.


Here are my cookies. These take me a bit to make, but they are mouth watering good. I probably ate like 10 while I was icing them. Figured Operation Lose Baby Weight could wait until after the party.


Argg! These were so fun to make and so delicious! I am pretty sure that none of the kids got one, though because the parents went crazy over them. I am already getting moms asking me if I will be making them for my daughter's party in October. I sure will! They were fun to make, but my kitchen looked like a food explostion happened afterwards--not fun to clean up.


And the cake...yummy! I told you I love sweets! I bought the cake from a mom who I had heard great things about. Her shop is called Cake it Easy Bakery, in case you are local.


I served each kid dinner in these adorable gable boxes that I bought off Etsy. Then I designed a label in photoshop and printed it on sticker paper, cut it with my paper cutter, and stuck it on the box.

The label said "Ye Hearty Grub" and then listed all the food that was inside. I had Golden Nuggets with Ruby sauce (chicken nuggets and ketchup), Pirate Booty (fun popcorn snacks that are actually called Pirate Booty), and a Ship O' Fruit with a Sword (the waffle bowls that I posted before filled with fruit and a little sword pick). The kids loved having their own boxes and I think the parents loved not having to fix a plate of food for the kids.

I will try and finish up the pirate party tomorrow. Then I have a ton of cute projects I have been working on to share. Can't wait!

Pirate Party, Part 1

My son's 5th birthday was a couple of weeks ago and I am just getting some time to go through the pictures--that's what happens when you have three BUSY kids! I can't wait to share all the party details with you, but it will have to happen in stages because, well, of the three busy kids.

We don't have a mailbox at our new house. Ack! Can you believe that one of the first things I asked my hubby when we decided to build this house was where was I going to tie balloons for my kids' parties. I always tied them to the mailbox! Yeah, I notice things like that...

So, this was my solution.

I found a little pirate boy on etsy, bought him, changed his hair and eye color to match my son's (I used him throughout the party),, and drew him on some plywood. Then I had the above mentioned husband cut him out, and we all took part in painting him--even the kids. I think he looked perfect outside, AND I had a place to tie the ever important balloons!

Once all the kidlets entered the house, they had to make a stop at the Pirate table and become true pirates, hooks and all!

I designed the sign in photoshop and slipped it in a frame I bought at the dollar store. All the rest of the pirate gear I bought at different places online. Then I sprinked the table with chocolate gold coins. I think those were gone within seconds! I also cut out some vinyl with my Silhouette machine and put it above the table. It reads: Pirates Only: All others will walk the plank. Loved it!

Once the kids were true pirates, they had jobs to do. I set up the kids' tables in our breakfast room. Don't be afraid to move around your furniture. My breakfast table found a new temporary home in our office for the day.

I covered the table with plastic table clothes I found at the Dollar Store. Also, I made a simple banner and hung some paper lanterns that I bought at Hobbly Lobby on either end. Each little pirate had a treasure chest to decorate. I set out crayons, markers, and foam stickers to make the chests pirate worthy.

I also had an activity placemat that I designed in photoshop. They had to make their own pirate map and complete a maze. There was a pirate joke on there, too--my best one. What is a pirate's favorite letter? Arrrrrr!

For the kids who finished fast, I had a pirate tent set up with some of my son's pirate books. We like books. I will find any excuse to buy or borrow new books, and a party is no exception. This pic was taken after the little pirates had some fun with the tent, so its leaning. Ah well.


I still have a ton more to share, but my baby is a cryin'! Tomorrow I'll share my sweets table with you and a few more decorations. Then its on to pirate games and the food!

Fun Fruit Cups

It's no secret that I have a thing for chocolate. It is also no secret that I crave fruit. When other people wanted pickles and icecream during their pregnancies, I was sending my husband out for midnight watermelon and strawberry runs! That was fun for him during the winter! ;)

Anyway, why not combine the two into a fun treat for the kids (and mamas too)!

First gather all your materials. You'll need candy melts, waffle bowls, and sprinkles.

Follow the directions on the candy melt package and then dip your waffle bowl in the melted chocolate. While its still wet, sprinkle away--the more srpinkles the better! The candy melt will usually harden in 10-15 minutes, but if you need it sooner, then pop them in the fridge.

There you have it! The prettiest fruit cups in the land!